


How Life Is

by JayTyHeyBye



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Jughead Jones, First Kiss, M/M, Soulmate AU, Tumblr Prompt, soulmate's name appears on your wrist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-13 19:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10520583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayTyHeyBye/pseuds/JayTyHeyBye
Summary: "Sometimes, sweetheart, Soulmates stop being your soulmate. That’s just how life is.”





	

The night before she left, Jughead Jones asked his mother why the name Forsythe Jones II was beginning to fade on her wrist. She was in the middle of washing the dishes, her sleeves rolled up passed her elbows. Jughead was standing beside her, drying the dishes for her. As he spoke, she stopped scrubbing the plate she had been working so meticulously on.

“Sometimes, sweetheart, Soulmates stop being your soulmate. That’s just how life is.”

He made sure not to ask another question.

The next morning she had made his lunch. She kissed him on the top of the head. He and Jellybean had talked about The Beatles over breakfast. He had hugged them both before going to school.

When he got home, his father was sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. 

All traces of his mother and sister were gone. 

Jughead learned at age 13 that Soulmates can fade. 

That night, as the shower was running and he was getting ready for bed, he spared a look down at his arm. 

Archibald Andrews was in nice, neat cursive upon his wrist. He lightly traced over the name with his finger tips, making a silent prayer to God that the name would never leave him.

 

Years passed. Archie never showed up for the road-trip. Jughead so desperately wanted the name on his arm to disappear. He never wanted to see that name again.

He left home. Moved into the drive-in. Jason Blossom was killed. He became friends with Archie again, making the markings on his arm tingle whenever they spoke. The drive-in shut down. He moved into the school. Archie figured it out. He moved in with his friend.

He moved in with his soulmate. 

He had to admit, having Archie around again brought a bit of light into the darkness that was surrounding him. As everything went to shit, Archie made sure to hold Jughead’s head above the water, keeping him from drowning.

Jughead was curled up on the air mattress Archie had inflated for him. It was 3am, and he found himself unable to sleep. He tossed and turned for a while, but when he heard a quiet groan from the bed, he found himself sitting up.

Archie was half under his blankets and half not, his eyes screwed shut, covered in a cold sweat. His grey t-shirt was soaked, and red hair was matted to his forehead. Just as Jughead got off of his bed, approaching the bed to try and wake him up from whatever dream was plaguing him, Archie suddenly let out a gasp and bolted up in bed, grabbing his right arm. Jughead was by his side in a second, his eyes wide with panic. 

It only took him a moment to realize what was happening. Getting your soul mark wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Some invisible force was carving its name into your arm with what felt like a hot fire poker. Jughead kept a tight grip on the redhead’s shoulder, trying to calm him in any way possible. 

“Juggie-”

“I know-”

“It burns-”

“Deep breaths, Arch. It’ll be over soon.”

After what felt like hours, Archie must’ve noticed something that Jughead didn’t, because his eyes widened. In a split second, Archie had launched himself from the bed, sprinting out of the room and down the hall until Jughead heard the bathroom door shut. He quickly followed Archie, knocking on the bathroom door once he realized it.

“Archie?”

“Go away.”

“Arch, what-”

“I said go away, Jughead! It’s fine!” 

It caused a familiar pain in his chest, but Jughead listened. He slowly made his way back into his and Archie’s bedroom. If Archie didn’t want him there to help, he knew better than to keep pushing.

All he could do was lay back down on his air mattress and try to sleep.

After all, the baby shower was tomorrow, and he promised Betty he’d help her set up.

 

“Did you know Jughead’s dad is a snake?”

“I can explain-”

“Save it.”

 

He had been dreading coming home that night. Jughead knew for a fact that Archie would still be mad at him, and the thought of Archie being angry enough to kick him out had definitely crossed his mind more than once. As he entered Archie’s bedroom, Archie was sitting in his swivel chair, tuning his guitar. Jughead slowly sat down in another chair, sucking in a sharp breath.

“I should have trusted you. There’s no excuse. I was afraid that the serpents and my dad were the ones doing those messed up things. I didn’t want to believe that was true. I mean he’s-he’s my dad, Archie.” 

For a moment, Jughead was worried Archie wouldn’t even grace him with a response, so when Archie sat up slightly and sighed, a giant weight was lifted off his shoulders.

“I get that. I do, but Jughead you can talk to me about anything. You’re...” Archie trailed off for a moment, averting his gaze. Jughead frowned, watching him closely.

“I’m?” 

Archie didn’t need words to answer. Hesitantly, he rolled up the sleeve of his right arm to show the name Jughead Jones III etched into his arm, and it was the most beautiful thing Jughead had ever seen. 

“You’re my soulmate.” Archie finally finished, and that was all Jughead needed. In an instant he was moving from his chair, grabbing Archie by the front of his shirt and pulling him into a firm, yet needy kiss. Archie quickly returned it, his guitar-damaged hands coming to rest on his hips. It made the butterflies in Jughead's stomach spring to life, and the name on his arm began to tingle under his sleeve.

When they finally broke apart, they remained close, their noses lightly bumping against each other. 

At 13, Jughead Jones learned that soulmate marks can fade.

At 17, however, Jughead knew that his never would.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow me on tumblr! @subject-to-feels
> 
> Ps, please let me know if you think I should make a part 2 with Beronica or any other ships!


End file.
